MountainHunter

I understand. No one response or strategy suits every situation. Your circumstances is a difficult one. Absentee ownership or over sight is ripe for being taken advantage of.

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion as well as their own decision as to how to react to someone trespassing on their land. I have made clear the distinction I have been talking about. If someone is a persistent offender and it is clear they are intending to trespass then I would prosecute. If it was a happen stance occurrence I wouldn't,it would also depend upon the demeanor of the hunter,are they friendly,apologetic,respectful etc.. I trust my judgement to know the difference.

We all relate to things based on what we are used to. The majority of my hunting is on large tracts on mountain land. Some private,some public. I do see a difference between someone whose intention it is to hunt your land and someone who is hunting on someone else's land they have permission to be on and they have a shot opportunity on your property line and they take it. And yes in the second case I would help them drag it out. Maybe if some of these guy's see that the landowner is a decent person they will think twice about violating their property rights.

I am not looking to insult you but that is an ignorant statement. A selective hunter likely gets to look over many more bucks than the if it has three inches of calcium it's getting shot hunter.

What about persistent offender wasn't clear to you?

Scot - I take it you let all immature bucks walk then? Is this a define mature trap? I don't shoot 1 1/2 year old bucks. Every year of age a buck puts on the proportionately more difficult they become to kill,and the much more likely they are to advance to the next year. I have seen the positive difference that AR'S have made. I am getting bucks on trail camera's that are 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 years old. Prior to AR'S that would never have been the case.

I am responding by iPhone and it is tough with a small screen.

Only a couple of responses I could identify with. You guy's realize it is just a deer right? I am with sits with trees on this one. If it isn't a persistent offender I am congratulating the hunter and helping them drag.

This has nothing to do with what is desired by the majority of sportsman. It has to do with whiners and gutless beurocrats. Some would never shoot a buck if it wasn't a year and a half old. They may have to cover some ground or come by some hunting skill.

Are these records kept? I am not aware that they are. I trust my own observations and those of hunters that are hunting in those units. The state played politics with the super majority BS,I guess 2/3rds of those polled wasn't enough! Did the same super majority apply to crossbows? I guess it is ok to pick and choose what majorities are necessary for what votes! I am in favor of the use of crossbows just as a matter of record.

3a is down considerably over the last few years.3G is down in the more mountainous portions. The bear and coyotes have hit the herd hard in these areas.

Sam, those are some outstanding deer.Congratulations!In my area of the catskills a100 inch buck is a good buck.any thing 120 or better is top end.

I have shot young/small bucks in the past.I don't and will not any longer.It has been a very long time since I have taken a small buck. Even with out management permits it is not difficult to put a couple doe's in the freezer.with the amount of hunting I do it is not a challenge to me or rewarding to shoot a small buck.

Bushnell Elite 3200 is a very good less expensive scope.I have one on a Thompson Center Encore and I have been very pleased with it.I can't imagine that a good higher end used scope couldn't be found through some of the Internet sources.

I hunt 3C and I have seen a definite improvement in the number of bigger bucks seen and the amount of scraping activity.

I am not reading 30 pages of debate regarding cross bows.I will state my opinion though.I have no problem with them,especially so for those with disabilities.they are successfully being used in some of the most prolific big buck states in the nation. My sense of the NY Bowhunters Association as a former several year member is that they are a small group where the leadership has changed very little and they look to advance their own views regardless of what the majority of bow hunters in the state want. I see the New York outdoor News in a similar light.